The sooner that death came to him the better, but till death should come he must console himself as well as he could by playing whist at the Eldon.

It was after this fashion that Mr.Wharton thought of the coming marriage between his daughter and her lover.
"I have your father's consent to marry your sister," said Ferdinand immediately on entering Everett's room.
"I knew it must come soon," said the invalid.
"I cannot say that it has been given in the most gracious manner,--but it has been given very clearly.

I have his express permission to see her.

Those were his last words." Then there was a sending of notes between the sick-room and the sick man's sister's room.

Everett wrote and Ferdinand wrote, and Emily wrote,--short lines each of them,--a few words scrawled.